Page 6 of Ravished by the Beastly Duke (Regency Beasts #1)

CHAPTER 6

“ O f all the nonsense, foolhardy, embarrassing things you’ve ever done, you go and add tarnishing your reputation to the list?” Reginald Jennings, the Viscount Notley, scolded as soon as Eveline stepped into the dining room for the morning meal.

She had slept fitfully after many long hours of tossing and turning, waking up grudgingly with the hope that she would at least be the one to share the bad news with her father. Alas, that was not to be, as he was holding a copy of the day’s scandal sheet.

“Good morning, Father,” she greeted. “I’m sure your night was pleasant.”

“Skip the pleasantries, girl,” he spat. “What is your explanation for this disgrace?”

“Nothing happened, Father,” she tried to explain. “It was only a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?” he yelled, slamming a hand on the table. His face was red with anger as he threw the papers down. “You were found in a room with a duke. Unchaperoned!” he sneered. “I cannot repeat what else is written here for propriety’s sake.”

“Nothing happened between the Duke and I, Father!” she insisted. “Yes, we were found together, but it was only because I accidentally stepped into the chambers he was in, and we were there for only a brief moment.”

“I do not need to hear your lies, Eveline,” the Viscount snapped. “Where is your sister? Is this what her education has led you to do?”

“I am here, Father,” Ava announced, stepping into the room.

She looked as though she had also had difficulty falling asleep the night before. Guilt for being the reason her sister got scolded again hit Eveline afresh.

“Where were you when your sister decided to go frolicking with a man at last night’s ball?” the Viscount growled. “It is bad enough that she is unmarried still. Now, this? I am disappointed in both of you.”

“Father, the rumors are not true. Nothing happened between the Duke and Evie. It?—”

“It doesn’t matter what is true or not. You were supposed to guide her and be her chaperone to prevent things like this from happening,” he scolded. “And Evie, you are no longer a debutante to make such a mistake. You should be bringing home a suitor, not tales of how your reputation is ruined.”

“Is that all you care for, Father?” Eveline spat, despite her sister’s warning to keep silent. “Did it take a scandal for you to finally acknowledge our presence in this home?”

“How dare you speak to me this way?” the Viscount sneered. “After everything I have done to provide for you, to clothe you so you can dally away every Season, is this how you choose to repay me? Don’t I do more than what other fathers do?”

“Is that all you think is necessary?” Eveline asked, feeling tears well up in her eyes as years of pain rushed forth. “You have barely looked at us since Mother died, and all you have to say to Ava, who has sacrificed so much, is that she hasn’t done well? She was only a child when Mother passed, yet you handed over your responsibilities to her?—”

“Keep silent, Eveline,” the Viscount warned.

“No, Father.”

“Eveline!”

“It is not fair to?—”

“Eveline, be quiet,” Ava ordered, shocking her.

“Ava?” Eveline sputtered, confused, staring at her sister’s frowning face.

“I said, be quiet,” Ava repeated, going to take her seat at father’s right-hand side. “Take your seat, and we shall discuss this in a civilized manner.”

“I do not want to eat.”

“It matters not. Now, sit.”

Feeling deflated, Eveline trudged up to the chair at their father’s left-hand side. Thankfully, Stella had yet to come down, so she was spared the scene.

Eveline still did not understand why Ava had chosen to stop her when all she had been trying to do was defend her.

“I apologize on Evie’s behalf, Father,” Ava started. “And I apologize for how poorly last night went. I should have kept a closer eye on her, but I had hoped to give her some independence while she conversed with the gentlemen I had selected as probable matches.”

“This is where trusting her gets us.” The Viscount frowned. “You should have known better than to trust her to be well-behaved. Eveline has always had a mischievous side to her. I let you handle your sisters because I believed you had learned better under your mother’s tutelage, and as such you embodied the best of her. I should never have expected so much from you.”

Eveline felt pain lance through her when she saw a lone tear roll down Ava’s cheek, which Ava quickly wiped with her napkin before placing it on her lap. Eveline watched her sister try to school her features as she buttered a scone, but every so often, her face would crumple as she tried to fight back tears.

Having known their mother the longest, Ava had suffered her absence the most, especially since she had had to handle her responsibilities while their father grieved the loss of his wife. It had been even harder for her because she and their father had shared a close bond which turned into cold silence once he emerged from his mourning.

Eveline felt guilty, for it was because of her mistake that Ava was being punished with the memory of the relationship she had with their mother. Fresh anger at her father kindled in her blood. But for Ava’s sake, she tried to quell it.

“Father,” she began. “The blame lies fully with me and not Ava. I was the one who ran from her when she tried to guide me. I am the one who has brought shame to our family. Not her.”

“Do not think I am not angry with you,” the Viscount sneered. “I am, but I blame her because if she had guided you better, you would not be in this situation.”

Stella breezed into the dining room just then with a bright smile on her face and moved to take her seat to Eveline’s left.

“Good morning, Father,” she greeted seriously. Then, she turned to Eveline and smiled so brightly that Eveline wondered whether she couldn’t sense the mood in the room. “Oh, Evie, you must tell me about the ball last night.”

“Do you see how she has not only raised you to forget your sense of propriety? She has also raised this one to be slothful,” the Viscount spat, disappointed.

“Father, that is not fair,” Stella said with a pout. “I only came down for breakfast so late because Ava made me memorize our previous lessons. She is doing a fine job raising us.”

“And teaching you to talk back to your father is a fine job?”

Everyone fell silent, taking their chastisement in stride. Talking to their father would do them no good at a time like this. It was best to let him speak and then return to his study, where he would spend the rest of the day ignoring them.

“You had better hope he proposes, or you will have to go to Scotland and stay with your aunt.”

“Father, please. You cannot?—”

“I am sorry to interrupt breakfast, My Lord, but you have a visitor,” their butler, Gerald, announced, stepping into the room.

“And who would visit so early without an invitation?” the Viscount asked, disapproval heavy in his tone. “I certainly hope it’s not a beggar.”

“No, My Lord,” Gerald answered, shaking his head. “It is the Duke of Mayfield, My Lord.”

The Duke is here?

The Viscount’s eyebrows rose briefly, and he shot Eveline a look before clearing his throat and rising from his seat.

“Show him to my study at once,” he ordered.

“Yes, My Lord.”

Anticipation rose inside Eveline as she tried to imagine why the Duke was calling so early in the morning. Could he have come to propose?

Ava looked hopeful, while her father looked disdainfully at her.

“You better hope he has come to propose, or tomorrow you will be saying goodbye to England for good.”

With that final admonition, he stepped out of the room, looking anxious.

The Viscount might be used to putting on a facade for his daughters, but in the face of someone with a higher rank, he had to humble himself.

“Oh, thank the heavens!” Ava cried, taking their father’s seat so she could be closer to Eveline. “I told you he would come to propose.”

“You do not know that, Sister,” Eveline rebutted, not wanting to entertain the thought only to have her hopes dashed.

“Why do you refuse to think positively?” Stella asked.

“Because this is not a fantasy novel where I’m the protagonist who has a happily ever after with a man who loves me,” Eveline muttered, bowing her head. “The Duke is probably angered by all he has had to endure because of me—that is why he’s here. Even if he were to marry me, he would probably hate me for the rest of his life for forcing his hand. I cannot afford to harbor romantic notions only to have my heart broken.”

“We shall see, then,” Ava stated with a grim smile, “which one wins—the Duke’s honorable nature or your pessimism.”

“I suppose you already know why I am here, or at least you suspect the purpose of my visit,” William began, once the Viscount stepped into his study.

While he had been awaiting his arrival, he had looked around the room, noting the man’s fine taste in furniture and alcohol. It was odd being on this end of the table, but he did not let it show.

The Viscount was a large man, with chestnut-brown hair that was streaked with grey, showing his age. He looked intimidated and a far cry from what William had expected, considering how loud his voice had been when he had been scolding his daughters.

William frowned, knowing he had been right to come, to save Miss Eveline the torment his refusal to marry her would have caused.

“I do,” the Viscount answered. “Would you like to discuss the terms over drinks?”

“No. This will be a short visit.”

“Alright.” The Viscount moved to his seat.

William was happy to see the man feign some pride even though he could sense the nervousness oozing from him. It was expected. After all, the man was far outranked.

“I am glad to see that my daughter’s future husband is not given to drink,” the Viscount added.

“In as much as I am here to propose marriage, Lord Notley, it is not you who I expect an answer from. It is from your daughter,” William explained.

“And why is that? I am her father, and I should have a say,” the Viscount spluttered.

“You do, and you have shown me you will approve of the match,” William told him with a gentle shrug of his shoulders. “But I will only marry the lady if she agrees.”

“This is not how things are done, Your Grace.”

“But it is how I want it to be,” William stated. “The marriage is between your daughter and I. As such, we will be the ones to decide if we shall proceed.”

“Of course, she will agree,” the Viscount scoffed. “She has common sense.”

If William were any other man, he would rely on her common sense, but Miss Eveline had never seen him without the mask, and she would need to decide if his face was one she would not mind seeing for the rest of her life. He did not mention this to her father, who would not care if he was maimed as long as his daughter was wed.

“Call her in, then.”

The Viscount was quick to summon a footman and instructed him to send Miss Eveline in.

William did not like the way his heart raced in anticipation of her arrival. It was one thing to see him under the cover of darkness. If she were to see him in the full light of day, with his scars on full display, would she still ask him to kiss her as she had? Even he sometimes had difficulty looking at his face in the mirror.

If she grimaced or fainted at the sight of him, it would hurt his self-esteem even more than his flawed visage had.

A knock sounded at the door, and she came in, looking even lovelier than she had the night before, in a lovely gown of pale blue silk. Although the cut was modest, it still failed to hide her smooth curves.

William hated the way his eyes followed the shape of her legs as they moved beneath the light fabric and how he found her lips so tempting even though they were in polite company.

“Eveline, may I present the Duke of Mayfield,” the Viscount spoke up. “Your Grace, this is my second daughter, Eveline. I believe you two are already acquainted.”

William rose from his seat, ignoring her father’s attempt at a quip, and stepped up to her.

“It is my pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Eveline,” he said, looking down at her.

“Likewise, Your Grace,” she replied with a curtsy, still not looking at him.

“I have come to propose marriage, but only if you are willing to accept,” he stated, wanting her to understand that she had control over the outcome of the situation.

Her eyes shot up to his, then widened as she took him in. It was only through sheer will that he did not turn away, instead allowing himself to watch the expressions on her face shift from shock to intrigue and then to bashfulness, a hot blush covering her face.

Where was the fear?

His reaction left him doubting himself, as he had not thought a woman would blush because of him. He found himself feeling somewhat relieved that she had not swooned at the sight of his face.

“Will you marry me, Miss Eveline?” he asked, not wanting to prolong his visit.

She worried her lip between her teeth, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

“I cannot, Your Grace,” she replied, surprising him and her father.

“You stupid girl!” the Viscount bellowed. “What do you mean, you will not marry the Duke? This is the best match you could ever hope to?—”

William raised a hand to silence his protests, turning to the confusing woman.

“Why do you refuse my proposal?” he asked, wanting to understand her reasoning.

Surely she knew this was a more advantageous match than any she could have hoped to secure even before her reputation was tarnished.

“I understand that the entire situation is my fault, Your Grace, and I accept the blame for it,” she answered, frowning. “You do not need to enter a forced marriage to atone for a sin you did not commit.”

William found himself moved by her honesty. He took the liberty of lifting her chin to look her in the eye.

“It would not be seemly of me to let you take the blame for what was a shared mistake, and I would not be asking you if I did not think it was the right thing to do,” he said with a small smile. “Besides, I am a duke. No one can force me to do what I do not want to.”

Her eyes widened, giving her an air of innocence he found endearing. Her full lips teased him again with memories of the previous night, and he found himself tempted to kiss her again.

He released her chin before the thoughts made him do something utterly improper that would send her father to his grave.

She lowered her head, and he knew she was pondering his words.

“You do not have to accept if you do not wish to be tied to me,” he told her. “No one can force you into a match you do not want. I am not the beast everyone thinks I am, so you do not have to fear if you choose to refuse me.”

Her eyes flicked up to his, searching, and then she nodded slowly.

He could sense her father waiting to rain abuse if she chose not to answer, and he contemplated sending her to his aunt in France for some time if she did choose to refuse him. It would be one small thing he could do to help her escape the torment.

“I will ask once again, and if you refuse me, I will leave,” he told her with a nod. “I only ask that you look at me while you answer.”

She nodded again.

“Will you marry me, Miss Eveline?” he asked.

This time, there was a tension in the air that had not been there before as she considered her answer. He could see her pulse fluttering erratically at the base of her throat, and he sensed the emotions warring inside her.

Even if he wasn’t affected by her answer directly, he hoped she would agree to the marriage. Magnus had pointed out some things in her favor. She would save him the toil of sifting through the ton’s daughters for a wife that would at least tolerate him whether or not there was passion between them.

“I accept your proposal, Your Grace,” she answered with a small smile. “I would be honored to be your wife.”

He nodded and stepped away from her. “Then I shall discuss further arrangements with your father.”

She nodded and left the room.

The Viscount was smiling brightly when he turned back to him. “I told you, my daughter is?—”

“I shall return in a week with a special license,” William interrupted. “I believe you can start the preparations.”

He left before the man could say anything.